Hello Smallville! 

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day weekend! We’ve wrapped up another fantastic week here at school, and we couldn't be more proud of the dedication and enthusiasm our students continue to bring each day. From engaging lessons to meaningful classroom discussions, it's been truly inspiring to see everyone learning, growing, and supporting one another.

Looking ahead, MAPS testing begins next week. This is an important opportunity for students to demonstrate their progress and all the hard work they've put in so far this year. To help them do their best, please make sure your child: Gets a good night’s sleep, arrives at school on time, eats a healthy breakfast, and brings a positive, focused mindset.

If you’d like more information about MAPS or upcoming unit tests, feel free to reach out to your student’s teacher directly.

On the extracurricular front, our volleyball teams are off to a strong start and will face the Parades Pumas tonight! Football season is also just around the corner, so get your Cougar gear ready to show your school spirit and cheer on our teams.

As we move deeper into the semester, instruction is in full swing, and we have a number of exciting events and opportunities on the horizon. Please make sure you’ve completed all required consent forms so your student can participate in clubs, attend tutorials, and receive services from our counseling and nursing staff. More information about these state-required forms can be found below.

Don't forget It is always safety first here at Small. Check out this new safety vest the city of Austin gave me!

Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to another great week ahead!

Have an amazing weekend!

Stay Present,
Bedford

🍂🎃 We Need Your Help to Make Fall Fest Amazing! 🎃🍂

As many of you know, the current district budget deficit has affected our school in a lot of small (but important!) ways. Things the district used to cover are no longer funded—so if we want to keep them, we have to raise the money ourselves.

That’s where Fall Fest comes in! 💛

This fundraiser directly supports every department that participates—Math, Science, Language Arts, Life Skills, Art, Library, Green, and more. The more successful the event, the more money goes right back into classrooms and programs that support your kids. 🙌

✨ How you can help:

• 🎃 Join us Oct. 4 | 10–2 → Buy pumpkins, play games, enjoy food & fun! Tell your friends this is a community event. Presales will be available soon.

• 💪 Volunteer → Help run booths, games, or activities. Sign-up Here

• 🛒 Shop our Amazon Wishlist → Donate prizes & supplies to keep our costs low. https://a.co/5YBeYaP

• 🌟 Be a Big Sponsor → Cover the cost of pumpkins, an inflatable, or other big-ticket items to make the event a success. https://clint-small-fall-fest-saturday-oct-4th-10-am-2-pm-c.cheddarup.com

Every bit of support—big or small—makes a huge difference. Together, we can make this the best Fall Fest yet and give our kids the resources they deserve.

👉 Want to sponsor or learn more? Click the links above, or Email us at president@clintsmallmspta.org.

Let’s do this, Small families! 💚

Emails and robo calls are going out to families we do not yet have consent forms from for Mental Health, Physical Health, or Clubs.

We must have 100% of these forms completed by the end of September. Without parental consent, we cannot provide these important services and supports for your student.

If you receive a call, Please fill out the missing Google forms TODAY.

If you are still receiving calls after completing the forms, it may be because:

• The Student ID number was entered incorrectly, OR

• The form was submitted for the wrong school.

If you need your child’s correct Student ID, please email jennifer.newell@austinisd.org.

Be sure to use the links provided in Ms. Bedford’s letter to complete the forms If you use any other links, we will not have access to see your consent. Do not enter any students that DO NOT go to Small on these forms.

Thank you for helping us take care of this quickly!

Dear Families,

We want to make sure every parent is receiving important school communications and can easily access their student’s information online. Recently, we’ve discovered some fixes that can help with common issues—but instead of checking through over 1,200 records one by one, we’d like to focus on the families who are still experiencing problems.

👉 If you are having trouble receiving school emails or accessing your student’s information, please take a moment to fill out this quick form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdT5rKqU95SdRxJHHeaNUayG06MJRUnvdQh7uDJi1AjCBC0Ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=117420613092591643854

Your responses will help us quickly troubleshoot and get you connected.

Thank you for your help in keeping communication strong!

Parents, you’ll be hearing from your child’s teachers throughout the year about various school fees. These might include things like Lab Fees, Enrichment Fees, Chromebook Fees, and more.

If you ever need to pay a fee online, it’s easy to find! Just visit our website → small.austinschools.org, click the Parent tab, and then select Pay Online.

This will always be your one-stop spot for online payments.

Tickets for Middle School Games Updated from last Newsletter

This year, AISD has introduced a new online ticketing system for all athletic events.

• If you’d like the convenience of buying in advance, you can purchase tickets online https://events.hometownticketing.com/. Be sure to download the Hometown Ticketing App.

• Online ticket sales go directly to the AISD Athletic Department. Prices are $5.00 per Adult, $3.00 per student plus fees.

We also know that many middle school families prefer cash at the door—especially for students being dropped off. Middle schools still have the option to accept cash at the gate.

• At Small, cash tickets are $3.00 per person, and this money goes straight into our Athletic Activity Fund to support Cougar sports.

You now have two easy ways to attend the games:
✅ Buy online for convenience
✅ Pay cash at the door to directly support our school

We’re excited to see you in the stands this season—Go Cougars! 🐾

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time dedicated to breaking stigma, spreading hope, and connecting people to life-saving resources. It’s not just about raising awareness—it’s about fostering real conversations and building a culture of compassion and support. For guidance on how to support your child around the topic of suicide, this link offers helpful insights and resources.

🌱 Help Our Green Classes Grow! 🌱
We’re collecting a few everyday items for projects and would love your help!

• 🥚 Empty egg cartons

• 🪣 Buckets or empty kitty litter containers

Donations can be dropped off on the shelves in the Vestibule (outside the main office).
If it’s after hours, just leave them on the bench outside.

Thank you for helping our Cougars stay green! 💚

🎃 Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser – Saturday, Oct. 4th | 10 AM – 2 PM 🎃

Why buy your Halloween pumpkins anywhere else when you can pick them up at our Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser AND enjoy a full day of fall fun? 🍂

🌟 What’s waiting for you:

• 🎃 Pumpkins for sale (find the perfect one for your jack-o’-lantern!)

• 👻 Haunted House Inflatable

• 🌽 Inflatable Corn Maze

• 🚜 Hayrides

• 🐐 Petting Zoo

• 🐔 Chicken Poop Bingo (yes, really!)

• 🎨 Pumpkin Painting & Face Painting

• 🎯 Fall Carnival Games

• 🎃 Pumpkin Launching (see how far yours can fly!)

• 🍔 Delicious Food, 🍧 Kona Ice & More!

✨ Every pumpkin you buy helps support Small Middle School — so stock up here and skip the grocery store!

📍 When: Saturday, Oct. 4th | 10 AM – 4 PM
📍 Where: Small Football field

Bring your family, bring your friends, and come celebrate fall with us. Help us spread the word🍁

If you are interested in being a sponsor for this event, Please email jennifer.newell@austinisd.org

AISD is asking all volunteers to get a background check and have hours logged for reporting purposes. Luckily, they have provided a new software program called "VOLY" that is easy and simple to use.

 If you plan on volunteering at Small in any aspect this year (workroom, cage, chaperone dances, splashfest, field trips, etc. ), please register to volunteer with Voly at https://austinisd.voly.org. Volunteer opportunities will be posted in our newsletters soon.

 Small Middle School PTA Needs YOU!

We are looking for a volunteer to serve as our Sponsorship/Fundraising Chair for this school year. This role is responsible for finding business sponsors, organizing fundraising events, and overseeing any other fundraising efforts for the PTA.

Interested in lending your voice and energy? Please email president@clintsmallmspta.org if you are interested.

Connect with the PTA

Our PTA Facebook, Instagram and Linktree pages are a great way to stay up to date and make sure you never miss volunteer opportunities, event details, meeting info and more! Be sure to like us on your social platforms so you see everything we're sharing that's PTA related.

https://www.facebook.com/smallmspta

https://www.instagram.com/smallmspta

https://linktr.ee/smallmspta 

Join the PTA!

Become a member of our amazing CSMS PTA today!

The Cougar Cage is open for business and we need your help!  The Cougar Cage is the CSMS school store and helps to raise money for the PTA.  To learn more about the Cougar Cage and what a volunteer shift entails, click the Sign Up below.  If it’s your first time volunteering, be sure to sign up for a “Trainee” shift.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D45AFAF2FA4FAC07-50975400-cougar

School Store

There's just a few days left in our online back-to-school sale so stock up on your gear now before it's over!  Get your tees, long sleeves, hoodies, hats, joggers and more and enjoy 25% off your order through September 9. Free shipping on orders over $75. https://1stplace.sale/92689

Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM (Online Meeting)
Location: Virtual – Link will be sent to RSVPs

SIGN UP WITH THIS LINK https://bit.ly/4lqudF7

Come learn about our upcoming student tours:

SOUTH KOREA  From Seoul to Busan, bustling cities to seaside villages, students will be immersed in amazing pop culture and tradition! -->Summer 2027 

PORTUGAL Through city, mountain, and beach -you'll travel north to south Portugal and experience this colorful, historic land in depth. -->Spring Break 2027 

6th, 7th, and 8th-grade future, current, and graduating students — and their families — are all welcome to join our student tours!

Sign up WITH THIS LINK https://bit.ly/4lqudF7 to receive the meeting link and updates.

More than 180 students and families have trusted Mrs. Early’s long-established "Global Cougars Fly" international student travel program at Small Middle School to show them the world —including trips to Japan (twice), the Galápagos Islands and mainland Ecuador, Thailand, Australia, France, Italy, and Greece — and now it’s your student’s turn!

Email Mrs. Early with questions:mariel.early@austinisd.org
Mrs. Early is Small's longtime ESL Teacher, a language teaching specialist, a multiculturalism advocate, and a world traveler herself.She is a firm believer that travel opens our eyes to the world, makes us confident, and enriches our lives, while making us mindful of other people's cultures, values, and the essence of what unites us all.